Skin Crawl
by cakelesspixels
Summary: When an archaeologist goes missing, the Road Rovers are sent to the lost city of Paititi to retrieve him.
1. Like Cats and Dogs

**Author's Notes:** Skin Crawl is set in my own Road Rovers fanfiction universe. Things are based on the real world, but it's slightly different from our own. The world leaders are based on ones from the real world without actually being them.

* * *

The moon hung high in the night sky as the streets of Managua, Nicaragua where still alive with activity. The location of the Pathfinders' base was far more venturesome than Road Rover Mission Control; it was located right under the heart of the city as if it dared the very citizens of Managua to find it. The Pathfinders had been another creation of the Master. Afraid that his Rovers lacked the historical and anthropological know-how to deal with certain cases, he created them as a sub-organization. He was careful to set them up to be a mostly self-running group. It was made up of several teams of various animals, mostly cats and dogs, who specialized in protecting or retrieving anything of historical and cultural value. Each team had been assigned a gem-related name for organizational purposes. Any task that the Master felt needed a more educated approach fell to them.

Hunter had to admit that their base wasn't quite as impressive as the Road Rover Mission Control. The RRMC was like a self-contained city underneath the desert in New Mexico. The Pathfinder Base was simply an underground building. It was large, but he felt slightly claustrophobic being there. The main entrance was the only way in or out as far as Hunter knew.

The décor was the most striking thing about the place. The meeting hall was filled with treasures from around the world. The majority of the paintings appeared to be European while a great deal of the statues seemed to hail from African or East Asian roots. None of the Rovers would have been able to accurately guess which specific countries they came from.

"I still don't understand why we're here," Blitz said. "I thought all we were doing was looking for an archaeologist."

"Maybe it is _because_ we are looking for archaeologist," Exile said. "They could be having insight that we do not have."

"Right," Colleen said. "This is the sort of thing they specialize in around here."

Dr. Paul Micallef had been the man of the hour. He'd been doing work for the Maltese government when he'd disappeared. The Master had been vague about the details. He felt it best to wait until they had the Pathfinders with them before he expanded on the mission. All they knew so far was they were supposed to find the missing archaeologist and bring him back home to Malta.

"I wonder where everybody is," Colleen said.

Shag had been distracted by the artwork in the room. He slowly moved from piece to piece to examine it. He started to say something, but it was mostly muddled speech. The only clearly audible word was 'knickknacks'. Shag had been working on his speech therapy to try and become more coherent to those outside the Road Rovers team, but it had been slow going.

"You can say that again." Colleen had no trouble understanding him. "They sure are keen on their knickknacks around here. Maybe we should take some notes for Mission Control. It could use some sprucin' up."

"It would all be broken in the blink of eyeball," Exile said.

The Rovers' attention was pulled away from the art adorning the walls when the doorway to the room opened. The group of dogs that entered the room had to be team Diamond. The Master had enlightened them that they'd be working with two Pathfinders teams, Diamond and Emerald. The all-dog team was one of the best that Pathfinders had to offer. It also meant they were able to call dibs on assignments that caught their interest.

Standing in front of the group was one of the Pathfinder's French operatives. The standard poodle stood tall. Her black paws stood out against the rest of her snow white fur; the black fur around her front paws reached up to her elbows.

"Bienvenue, Road Rovers," she greeted. "Welcome to Gem Base. I'm sorry we weren't here to greet you sooner."

"Hey, don't sweat it," Hunter said. "No harm done."

"You must be Hunter," she said. She reached to shake his hand. "It's good to finally meet you. We've heard all about you. I am Chaussette. I'm the leader of team Diamond. This is the rest of my team."

She motioned to the dogs standing behind her. One by one, she introduced to them to the Rovers. The two shortest members of the team stood beside her. Hunter assumed that they'd be hidden behind their taller teammates if they didn't. Hana, the Shiba Inu from Kyoto, was very fox-like in her appearance, which came as no surprise to the Rovers. As Chaussette said her name, she flipped her shoulder-length hair back with a shake of her head. Katya, the Russian Spaniel from Eastern Siberia, was next. Her dark brown folded ears were hidden among her long dark brown hair.

Naturally, Exile was happy to meet someone else from his neck of the woods. "Comrade, it is good to meet you! I am being from Siberia as well!"

"Yes, you are Yeltsin's pet, aren't you?" She asked. Like Exile, she had a thick Russian accent. President Nicholas Yeltsin had only held the position of president for a year, but he had already built up quite the reputation in that short time.

"Katya, let's put aside politics for now," Chaussette said. Exile wasn't surprised that the other Russian would challenge him. He'd been cross-examined over his owner's actions before. At least this time he would be arguing with a fellow Russian rather than an outsider.

Chaussette continued her introductions. The most muscular member of the team was a Dogo Argentino from Argentina named Vallejo. His cropped ears only added to his intimidating appearance. Beside him was the last member of the team, Mandi. She was the youngest teammate. She was still something of a child. She was a mixed breed; it was hard to pinpoint exactly what she was a mix of. She was mostly white with a splattering of black and orange splotches. Her hair had been the most eye-catching part. The hair on top of her head was completely black on the right side and orange on the left; the coloring separated perfectly down the middle of her head. Her pointed, erect ears matched the color of whichever side of the hair they were peeking out of.

"It's great to meet you guys, but where's the other team?" Hunter asked after Chaussette finished. "I thought the Master was sending us with you _and_ Emerald."

"They'll be here shortly," Chaussette said. "They're retrieving some information from Malta."

"Oh," Hunter said. "Chaussette? Could I ask you something?"

"Yes?"

"Is everyone on team Emerald a cat?"

"Yes, they are. Why?"

Hunter wasn't sure what to say. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. Diamond didn't seem to be bothered by that fact. Several seconds of uncomfortable silence passed; Chaussette watched Hunter as she waited for a reply.

"If no one else will say it, I will," Blitz said. "I don't think working with cats is a good idea." He'd had an issue with the whole arrangement from the start. He had been advised to keep quiet earlier that day, but it was now or never.

"I'm not too keen on agreein' with Fluffypants, but I am a bit concerned about it," Colleen admitted. "And I'm doubtin' these cats are gonna be fond of the arrangement."

"Don't worry," Chaussette said. "These cats work with dogs on a daily basis."

"Besides," Katya added, "they have Anaïs with them. She is very different kind of cat. She actually likes dogs."

"Some might say she likes dogs a little _too_ much."

"Vallejo!" Chaussette shot him a look.

Hunter and Colleen glanced at one nother. Neither understood what that statement had meant. Chaussette's stern warning seemed to have silenced the Dogo Argentino. Hunter spoke up in an attempt to clear away the tension. "Did the Master tell you where we're supposed to be going?"

Chaussette's eyes lit up at the question. "Peru," she said. "We think he found Paititi!"

She was met with blank stares from the Rovers. It wasn't a name that any of them had heard before. When Blitz gave Exile a questioning look, Exile could only shrug in return. The Doberman had been non-verbally asking for answers that the husky didn't have.

"Paititi?" Hunter repeated, confused. He wasn't able to get an answer before both teams noticed the Master enter the room. He stood on a small platform that separated him from the Rovers. His eyes glowed as bright as the mysterious lighting behind him.

"It's good to see you, Rovers. Diamonds," he addressed both teams.

"Hello, Master." Both teams replied in unison.

"I see you've already started getting acquainted with one another," he said. "As you already know, I called you here because of the disappearance of Doctor Paul Micallef, a professor of archaeology at the University of Malta. At the time of his disappearance, he was working for the Maltese government. They believed that he had finally figured out the location of Paititi in Peru."

Hunter respectfully raised a hand to interrupt. "Excuse me, Master? But what exactly _is_ Paititi?"

"It's the lost city of gold," Hana answered.

"Ohh," Hunter said. "You mean El Dorado!"

Katya shook her head. "No, we mean Gran Paititi. El Dorado is just a legend."

"Some people think Paititi's just a legend, too, though," Mandi pointed out. Her Pennsyltucky accent was impossible to ignore.

"Eh." Katya seemed unimpressed with the correction. "They are wrong."

"Paititi was a stone settlement," Chaussette clarified. "But it's been said that it was adorned with gold statues."

"And we have every reason to believe that Doctor Micallef found its location," the Master said. "The Emerald team is currently collecting the notes he left behind in Malta. Those notes might be the key to finding Doctor Micallef."

"And finding Paititi." Mandi had been careful to whisper to Katya, but the Rovers still caught the excited tone to her voice. The weight of the find only became poignant now that they knew to associate it with the legend of El Dorado.

"After Emerald arrives, we should be able to learn where you need to start your search," the Master said.

"I'll believe we can trust these cats when I see it." Although Blitz was the only one to say it, he wasn't alone in his feelings. Cats were difficult to control; they did whatever they wanted and they were prone to only following orders if they felt like it. The Road Rovers had worked with cats before, but whenever they crossed paths with a new team, it was hard not to be a little nervous.

"We appreciate the vote of confidence."

The Rovers turned to see two male cats and a female cat standing in the doorway. The one that spoke had a Kenyan accent. Both of the male cats lacked the bodybuilder physiques that the Rovers had; they were considerably shorter and lean. The Kenyan feline was a Sokoke, a rare breed that none of the Rovers ever expected to see in person. His brown fur had even darker brown - almost black - swirls and his tail was striped. The very tip of his muzzle and underbelly were white.

The other male next to him was silent. His fur was as black as night. He could have disappeared into the very shadows if he so desired. His left eye was forced shut by an unsightly scar. He kept his undamaged golden eye narrowed at them in disdain.

Chaussette stepped forward to motion to the Sokoke. "Rovers, this is Njamba," she said. "He's the leader of team Emerald." She pointed toward the other two cats. "And they are D'Artagnan and Psamathe."

Psamathe had all the markings of a Greek goddess in cat form; she had her thick hair pulled back into a half-braid that reached down to her mid-back. The bi-colored Aegean cat had mostly white fur while the top of her head, ears and a spot on her back were brown with dark brown stripe marks. The coloring on her face was a little lopsided. The brown coloring stopped around the base of her ear on her left side while the right side of her face was mostly brown. Even though she was a cat, the boys couldn't help but notice she was easy on the eyes.

Hunter shook hands with Njamba before turning to D'Artagnan. The black cat only glowered at Hunter's outstretched hand. "Am I supposed to ignore your teammate's remarks?" His accent gave him away as the team's Austrian member.

"Oh, right, sorry about that," Hunter said. "That's just how Blitz gets sometimes."

D'Artagnan didn't soften his glare. "You should have better control of your team."

Hunter was taken aback by his unfriendly words. "Excuse me?"

"D'Artagnan, please." The Master entered the fray to settle the troops. Sometimes he questioned his decision to start using cats. "Njamba, did you find the notes?"

"Yes, it was easy enough," he said. "Mirnav and Anaïs are waiting for us in the hangar with them. They should be what we need to find where Dr. Micallef went."

"Good work, Emerald," the Master said. "As you can see, the Rovers have already arrived." He'd already briefed Emerald on the Rovers' involvement in the case. The cats hadn't been very keen on it. While they would go along with it, they didn't entirely understand the Master's decision to team them up together.

Hunter nodded with a grin. "And you don't have a thing to worry about," he said. "I don't know much about this Paititi place, but I've got the super leadership skills to get us through this." He said it as a joke, but the others weren't laughing. Accepting it as a dud, he continued. "We should start heading out. We'll take the-"

"What makes you think you're in charge?" Vallejo interrupted.

Hunter gave him a quizzical look with the slight tilt of his head. "Huh?"

"You can't just waltz in here and start barking orders at us!" Vallejo crossed his arms over his chest. "You barely even understand what Paititi is. Why should we let you lead the way? Chaussette's the one who should be in charge."

"Vallejo, please, I will handle this," Chaussette said.

Hunter was taken aback by Vallejo's abrasive nature. He hadn't meant any harm. He was so used to taking the role of leader that he often did it without a second thought. Even when they had teamed up with other Rovers, they would turned to him for guidance and leadership. This had been the first time his leadership had been challenged outside of Blitz's often bitter commentary.

"Why can't Njamba be in charge?" Psamathe asked. It was the first time the Greek cat spoke up. "He's just as good of a leader as the two of them!"

"Psamathe." Njamba placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know you mean well, but let's not add to the tension, please."

Psamathe huffed. Hunter hadn't expected an argument of this magnitude to break out. He looked back to his own team; they were just as stunned as he was, save for Blitz. When Hunter looked to him, he could see a smug smile had been forming on the Doberman's face. Blitz had been enjoying the show. It was the first time Hunter's leadership had been truly questioned by someone other than himself.

"I didn't mean to cause a fuss," Hunter said. He didn't really know how to handle this. Taking control was easy, but meeting resistance along the way was difficult to maneuver. When it was Blitz, it was far easier to blow off. It was one dog against the group, and Blitz would usually cave in eventually.

Chaussette shook her head. "We're just not used to working with outside teams," she said. "But it might be best if we, at least, combined our efforts in leading our teams."

Diamond recognized that as Chaussette's diplomatic way of trying to regain control. She would offer Hunter the chance to co-lead, but she would inevitably take control. Her confidence in Hunter being the best leader for this expedition was shaken; she and Njamba were the two better candidates in her eyes. They knew what it was they were searching for. The Rovers only knew of the legend of El Dorado, which wasn't a surprise. This wasn't their specialty.

"Sounds fair to me," Hunter said. He didn't want to upset the teams, but giving up any element of control was difficult.

"If we're done with that bit of drama, we might want to get to work," Colleen suggested. "This archaeologist ain't gonna find himself."

"Colleen's right." The Master spoke up. "The sooner you find Dr. Paul Micallef, the better. Good luck, Rovers."

The Alpha Rovers nodded before turning to follow Njamba back to his other teammates. The hallways were as decorated as the main meeting room. There were a few pieces of art that Hunter recognized, making him wonder if all of the paintings and statues were replicas. He paused when one of the paintings caught his eye.

It was old. How old, Hunter couldn't say. He briefly thought of Procyon Strike's Storm and his brothers, Gawain and Tyron. They might have liked it; there were two Scottish deerhounds sitting beside a small spaniel and a parrot. The attention to detail was extraordinary. Although Hunter wasn't much of an art person, he could get into paintings like this.

"It's a beautiful painting, yes?" Chaussette asked. "It's a replica of a Landseer."

"Uh, cool." The name meant nothing to Hunter. He knew that history was what the Pathfinders dealt with primarily, which would explain why they knew so much. It was still slightly embarrassing to have everything go right over his head. Chaussette had to think he was a total clod right about now.

"I didn't know much about Landseer until recently," she said. The two moved away from the painting to continue to the hangar. "Katya was the one who started buying the replicas of his paintings. If it wasn't for her, I still wouldn't know too much about him. I don't follow art history as much."

Hunter had to admit that did make him feel a little better. It only made sense they wouldn't know everything, but they knew enough to remain intimidating. It was common knowledge that the Pathfinders were the history and anthropology buffs; whenever the other teams had a question, it wasn't unusual to contact Pathfinders headquarters for an answer. Seeing their domain in person really drove home how passionate they were about all this. It certainly bolstered his confidence in the work they were doing.

"Is he the guy who did the dogs playing poker painting?" Hunter asked.

"No, that was C.M. Coolidge."

"Oh."

There was the sting of embarrassment again. Hunter was relieved when they finally reached the underground hangar. He didn't want to embarrass himself any further. Chaussette hadn't sounded like she was judging him, but he couldn't get himself to believe that she wasn't. As soon as the door to the hangar opened, they were greeted by a sweet sounding, feminine voice.

"But instead of making fun of me for being naked, they just kept telling me I was ugly."

The voice belonged to a young champagne mink colored Tonkinese. She was cute, despite the story she seemed to be in the middle of. When she noticed someone else was in the room, she turned to look over to them; her almond shaped, aqua-colored eyes practically glittered with excitement. Her short, dark brown hair matched the dark fur around her face, paws, ears and tail.

"Hey there!"

Standing in front of her was a Turkish Van. He was the most unusual of the cats in the room. His orange-red ears and tail stood out against his white cashmere-like fur. His eyes were his most striking feature; his left eye a brilliant blue while his right was amber.

"Rovers," Njamba said. "I'd like you to meet Anaïs and Mirnav."

While Anaïs' name was French in origin, she had a very clear American accent. Mirnav, on the other hand, spoke with an accent that Hunter could only assume was Turkish. They exchanged brief formalities before Chaussette called for everyone's attention again.

"We'll be taking the Gemini," Chaussette said. "It'll be the most comfortable for us to fit in."

Chaussette's suggestion was met with no resistance. When no one spoke up against the idea, she led all three teams onto the Gemini. The high-powered jet was more lavish than the Rovers had been expecting. There was plenty of room for all three teams. It lacked the same décor that the Pathfinders seemed so fond of, but that didn't matter. The second they were on board, the other Rovers began to explore. It didn't take long for them to find the fully stocked fridge.

Hunter decided to approach Chaussette once again to glean more information about Paititi. She and Njamba were huddled together to go over the notes. Hunter felt as though he should be part of this anyway. He was the leader of the Road Rovers; this should be a meeting for all the leaders.

"What do his notes say?" Hunter asked.

Njamba and Chaussette turned to Hunter. Njamba gave a slight smile. "We were actually just about to announce that," he said. "We thought we should explain it to everyone."

Hunter gave a sad nod. He felt a bit shut out of the decision making. He knew they were the experts, but they could have given him something to work with.

"Hunter, could you call everyone's attention for us?" Njamba asked.

While it was the inclusion Hunter had desired, he wasn't sure why he was being included now. It also felt a bit juvenile to be given such a mundane task by Njamba. He used his two fingers to whistle loudly. "Team, eyes up front," he said. It was one of the few times he had used a more commanding voice. He'd secretly hoped it would make Chaussette and Njamba think a little more highly of him.

When everyone was facing forward, Chaussette spoke. "If we're reading Dr. Micallef's notes right, it looks like we should start in Cusco. From there, we'll head out into the rainforest and follow the instructions he had. It looks like he actually had some friends in high places with the Vatican. His buddy seems to be the reason he knew where to look."

"What's the Vatican got to do with all this?" Colleen asked.

"It's been long rumored that the Vatican has known about Paititi's whereabouts for centuries," D'Artagnan explained. "There's a report from a missionary named Andres Lopez that was found in the archives of the Jesuits in Rome. In it, he describes a city rich in gold."

"Meaning it is proof Paititi exists?" Exile asked.

"Not exactly," D'Artagnan said. "He says he heard about from a native. He never went there himself. That alone isn't definite proof, but it started the rumors."

"Dr. Micallef's notes refer to a different document though," Njamba said. "Something he got from his contact that hasn't been released to the public. Supposedly, a missionary did find it and his story was kept under lock and key."

"Why would the Vatican keep this a secret?" Hunter asked.

"Greed," D'Artagnan said.

"We don't know that, D," Vallejo said. "There could be a bunch of different–"

"It's greed," the black cat repeated. "And control. It's what the Vatican is good at."

"D'Artagnan, stop," Njamba scolded him. "Whatever the reason, it doesn't matter right now. We'll worry about all that once we have Dr. Micallef safe and sound. Your issues with the Vatican can wait for later."

D'Artagnan simply sighed and leaned back in his seat with his arms crossed. He didn't look pleased, but he said nothing else on the matter.

Chaussette continued from there. "If everything he's saying is true, we should be in Paititi in a day or so. It's hard to believe, I know, but we might be part of a major historical find in just a short while. Before we head out, I just wanted to say that I'm really glad we could share this moment together. Road Rovers? I wanted to let you know that we are happy to have you with us as well. This is something I know we would all love to share with as many people as possible."

"Oh, uh, cool," Hunter said, awkwardly. "Thanks."

Hunter's response deflated Chaussette's mood although she forced a smile. "I better get to the cockpit," she said. "Njamba, would you please join me?"

Njamba nodded and followed the poodle into the cockpit. As soon as they were gone, Colleen elbowed Hunter in the ribs. "'Cool, thanks'?" She repeated his words back to him. "What kind of response is that?"

"I didn't know what else to say," he admitted. He glanced around the cabin to see a few eyes still staring at him before turning back to their own business. He wanted to crawl into a hole and bury himself with dirt to hide away from everyone. Today was not his day. His normal upbeat confidence was drained.

Colleen sighed. Her disappointment was only salt in the wound; his ego was bruised and even Colleen seemed to have realized his faux pas. He wasn't stupid. He knew they were about to witness an historical event, although that wasn't unusual for the Alpha Rovers. He also could sense the buzz of excitement from the Pathfinders. Chaussette's heartfelt speech had been an extension of that and he'd blurted out a flippant response to it. He wasn't sure if it was too late to apologize or not. He decided to slink down into his chair and try not to think about it.

This was going to be a painfully long mission.


	2. The Leadership Challenge

Cusco was beautiful. The history of the city was evident in every building and road. There were modern conveniences, but they hadn't forsaken the past to have them. The Rovers weren't going to be spending much time in the city; they needed to get to Paititi without delay. Before they had even landed, the Pathfinders had secured a car to take them out into the rainforest. The jet had been able to accommodate a large van that Chaussette had repeatedly referred to as the Diamondback.

There were no real roads once they started to get away from the city. Tire tracks marked the commonly taken dirt roads that lead to Manu National Park. The Rovers were practically glued to the windows to take in the sights and sounds of the rainforest. Just before they reached the park, Chaussette pulled over to the side of the road.

"We should get out here," she said. "It'll be safer to go the rest of the way on foot."

The three teams were in agreement on that. Armed with Micallef's notes and a compass, they made their way into the forest. Hunter found it was too easy to get lost in thought; he stared up at the trees that dwarfed him. The rainforest had a way of making you feel so small and insignificant.

"I feel like I am on vacationski," Exile said. "So many trees! It is like Dog Heaven here."

"It _is_ bloomin' gorgeous here," Colleen agreed. When there was a flash next to her, she turned to see Psamathe was in the middle of taking a selfie. "Psamathe, no offense, but is this really the time to be takin' pictures of yourself?"

"Of course it is," Psamathe said. "It's not every day I get a golden photo opportunity like this. It's a perfect backdrop for me."

Blitz scoffed. "I told you," he said to Exile. "Cats are so vain."

Exile rolled his eyes. "You are like teapot calling kettle black."

As Psamathe recruited Anaïs to help her take a few more pictures, Colleen turned her attention elsewhere. "I've been wonderin'," she said. "If Paititi is the place to find, why is everyone always talkin' about El Dorado? Where did that even come from?"

"It originally referred to a person," Vallejo said. "In the early sixteenth century, when Spanish explorers reached South America, they heard stories about the Muisca people; they lived high in the Andes Mountains in what's now known as Colombia. According to those stories, every time a new chieftain came into power, his rule began with a ceremony at Lake Guatavita.

"The stories as to what would happen at the ceremony would vary, but there was one common element. The new ruler would always cover himself with gold dust, and that gold and precious jewels were thrown into the lake to appease a god that lived underwater. The Spaniards started calling this chief, El Dorado, 'the gilded one.' They say the ceremony ended after they were conquered by another tribe in the late fifteenth century."

"What about the lake?" Colleen asked. "If they threw gold in there, it'd be easy to find, wouldn't it?"

"Not entirely," Vallejo said. "They did try draining the lake. They lowered the level enough to find pieces of gold along the lake's edge, which just made them think there was more in the deeper water. Since then, we've found a few gold and silver artifacts, but not much else. In nineteen sixty-five, the Colombian government made it a protected area so it's illegal to try and drain it now."

"And that turned into a legend about an entire city of gold?" Hunter asked. "Huh. Neat."

"Maybe one of these days I can tell you more about it," Vallejo said.

Hunter nodded. While his first impression of Vallejo hadn't been all that great, Hunter appreciated his attempt to reach out to him. It made him feel a little more welcomed. He then noticed one of the other cats walking beside him; Anaïs had caught up with the rest of them after helping Psamathe with her photos.

There was something around her neck. It wasn't a collar. She had a silver chain peeking out from her dark-colored uniform. He debated keeping silent, but his curiosity got the best of him.

"What's that around your neck?" He asked.

Anaïs looked confused for a moment before it mentally clicked what he meant. "This?" She reached down into her uniform to pull out the chain, revealing a silver key at the end. "It's a replica of the Bastille key. It was a birthday present."

"They gave you a key?"

Anaïs nodded. "It's kind of like a good luck charm and it's a symbol of friendship."

"Friendship?" Hunter hated to admit that he didn't get the connection.

"The original key was presented to George Washington by the Marquis de Lafayette," she explained.

"Marquis de Lafayette?"

"The leader of the French Revolution," she said, matter-of-fact. Her lack of judgmental attitude was appreciated. "He served under George Washington during the American Revolutionary War and they were lifelong friends."

"Cool." _Great contribution, Hunter_, he mentally berated himself. He had nothing intelligent to add and he was afraid that, if he tried to elaborate, he'd put his ignorance on display.

Anaïs was tapping her chin with her index finger. Hunter assumed she was trying to figure out if he was an idiot or not. He was realizing his knowledge of American history was pitiful. His expression must have illustrated his embarrassment because Anaïs offered him a sympathetic look.

"I have an idea!" A smile lit up her face. "After we get back from the mission, your team and mine should go to Mount Vernon! We could teach everyone some of our history."

Hunter smiled. "I think I'd like that," he admitted. It did sound like it'd be a nice little trip. It'd been a while since his team had a fun outing together. And, as the president's dog, he probably should know a lot of the things Anaïs was explaining to him. Turning it into a field trip, for lack of a better description, made the whole experience less embarrassing for Hunter.

"I am this close to biting you!"

Hunter and Anaïs turned their eyes to the Doberman. Blitz and Colleen were in one another's faces as per usual. Hunter let out an annoyed sigh and rolled his eyes.

"I'd like to see you try!" Before Blitz could do anything, Colleen's fist made contact with his jaw. He fell backwards onto the ground and lifted a hand to nurse his aching jaw.

"What is going on over there?" Chaussette called out. Colleen was startled by the poodle's interference. "We are in the middle of a mission. What do you think you're doing?"

"Sorry, Chaussette," Collen said. "I was just givin' Fluffypants a lesson in some manners!"

Chaussette turned to Hunter, waiting for him to speak to his teammates. Hunter gave a shrug. "They do this a lot," he said.

Chaussette eyes widened in horror. "And you don't say anything about it?"

"I don't think I really need to." Hunter was starting to feel small. "It always turns out okay after they get it out of their systems. They never do any serious damage…."

Chaussette gave a disappointed sigh. Hunter felt like a child in the presence of a disappointed mother. She shook her head and spoke to Blitz and Colleen. "I don't care what Hunter lets you get away with when you're on your own. But I will not have you putting my team at risk with childish bickering, do you understand?"

"But-"

"Do you understand?" Chaussette had no qualms cutting Blitz off.

"Yes, ma'am." The two spoke in unison. Colleen looked sheepishly toward the ground. She wasn't used to being scolded.

"Good," Chaussette said. "We cannot afford to be at each other's throats. This mission is dangerous enough without us intentionally wounding each other."

Vallejo laughed curtly. He gave a sideways glance at Hunter. He muttered to Hana under his breath. "Some leader."

Hunter caught that. He almost spoke out against it, but realized that he had no leg to stand on. Had he really dropped the ball so severely? He really wanted this mission to be over and done with. Then things would get back to normal.

"This is why working with dogs is always a risk," Psamathe commented.

"I could say the same thing about cats," Blitz shot back.

"Please, we're ten times more reliable."

"By whose standards?"

"Anyone with half a brain," she said.

"If that's so true, why are we the ones called 'Man's Best Friend'?" Blitz asked. "We didn't get that title by being unreliable."

"You got it by being mindless lackeys."

"Psamathe, that's enough," Njamba said. "You're pushing it."

"Fine, I'll stop."

Blitz snorted. It was clear that he and Psamathe were going to get on about as well as oil and water. He had to remind himself that, after this mission, he'd never have to see her again. She'd go back to her corner of the organization while he went back to his.

Colleen had watched the exchange with interest. Psamathe's attitude towards dogs was insulting, but she appreciated her ability to rile up Blitz with only a few sentences. In an effort to offer the cats an olive branch, she wanted to reach out to Psamathe. "So, Psamathe, you're from Greece, yeah?"

"Yes." She was considerably less hostile to Colleen, possibly because she'd brought up a point of pride for the cat.

"What a coincidence," she said. "I was with Huntie the other day and we had a cravin' for some authentic Greek food. We couldn't find anything all that fancy so we popped into the Greek Express."

Psamathe raised an eyebrow at the name 'Greek Express'. She was clearly displeased at the idea of Greek fast food. "That's funny because I was craving authentic British food the other day," Psamathe said. "So I went dumpster diving."

Colleen gave a half-hearted laugh. "Now there's your comedy." The joke was a little funny and Colleen had deserved it. The Greeks were proud of their heritage, including their food, and she had brought up an American fast food restaurant. Besides she was Brit and Brits were good at taking a joke about themselves. Still, being shown up by a cat was a little embarrassing.

"Psamathe, please."

"Nah, it's alright, Chaussette," Colleen said. "I can't begrudge someone a good joke. 'Sides I walked into it."

Psamathe blinked in surprise. "Hm," she said. "Maybe you're not so bad for a dog."

"And you're not so bad for a cat," Colleen admitted. If they could keep this up, maybe this mission would turn out rather nice. Chaussette gave a warm smile at that. She was pleased to see someone getting along.

"What is your power anyway?" Psamathe asked.

"Cunning and agility."

"Ah, so you are the smart one of the team," she said. "Explains why your teammate wasn't quite as swift."

"Hey!" Blitz had been eavesdropping.

"What about you?" Colleen asked. Neither woman paid much attention to Blitz's outburst.

"Aquakinesis," she said. "I can control water."

Colleen cringed. "Ouch, seems kind of cruel for a cat."

"No, no, I like water," she said.

"No foolin'?"

"I was born on an island," she explained. "You get used to the water, especially when you depend on the fishermen for food. We cats would get fish from the fishermen's boats. Getting used to the water was a survival skill."

"So you were stealing from fishermen," Blitz said. Typical cat. They were always a pack of thieves.

"We do not steal," Psamathe argued. "The fishermen share with us. They could never resist this cute face." She pointed to herself and gave a wink which only earned an eye roll from Blitz.

There were scatterings of conversation as the group trekked through the wilderness. As the sun began to set, it was agreed that they needed to set up a camp for the night. Hunter was the one who found the perfect clearing. After a day of errors, he was proud to finally have a moment that made him feel competent. Njamba had even complimented him on finding a great spot. Like any dog, Hunter thrived on praise and Njamba happily gave him what he wanted. Njamba was a good and supportive cat. Hunter liked that. He was starting to see why the Master had made him the leader of Emerald.

Fortunately, it didn't take long to get most of their tents up; no one needed much in the way of assistance. Despite that, Shag gravitated toward Mandi to help her with her tent. In his eyes, she was a child and the urge to act as an older brother had kicked in. Mirnav and Hana weren't too far from the two of them with their own gear. The calmness of the campsite was upset when the small Russian spaniel's voice carried throughout the camp.

"How can you defend United Russia?"

"It has a strong foundation!" Exile said.

"And what about the lack of concern for freedom of the press?" Katya asked. "And that is just for starters! The party is filled with-"

"Every party has problems," Exile said. "It is no different. I know good people who are members!"

"Being a good person and a member of United Russia is an oxymoron," Katya argued. "This wouldn't have anything to do with your owner being a member of the party, would it?"

Exile faltered slightly. "I do not agree with everything in the party, but that does not mean the party cannot be fixed."

"Фигня!"

Remembering Colleen and Blitz's argument from earlier, Hunter realized this was the time to step in. It was time to be a leader and take control to keep the fight from getting worse. He had to show he could do this. "Hey, hey, hey," he said, stepping in. "Let's not fight, huh?"

Exile looked at Hunter quizzically. "But we are not fighting?"

Hunter crossed his arms. "Then what do you call all that shouting?"

Much to Hunter's confusion, Katya began to laugh. "Hunter, this is how we Russians debate."

"But you both seemed so mad," Hunter said. He wasn't entirely sure he believed Katya.

"You Americans are always so touchy," Katya said.

"Hunter, arguing with passion is good for the soul." Exile tapped on his own chest with his fist; the motion was meant to imply the location of said soul.

Hunter frowned, feeling like a fool once again. Exile and Katya eased back into their passionate debate over Russian politics. Hunter felt a hand on his shoulder. When he looked down, he saw Njamba smiling up at him. The cat was quite a few feet shorter than him.

"You did a good job," he said. It was as though the cat knew he needed reassurance.

"Thanks."

"It can be tough to know when to step in sometimes," he said. "Especially when it comes to Katya. She's a good person, but she's fond of arguing. Try not to take her too seriously."

"I'll remember that."

"If you'll excuse me, Hunter," he said. "I need to get back to my tent."

Hunter nodded. Njamba returned to the tent he was sharing with D'Artagnan and Mirnav. Before climbing inside, he caught sight of Colleen. She was the last person to not have her tent up. She had brought a tent of her own so she could have some privacy from the others; she was used to being the lone girl and having her own space. It was nothing personal against the other girls. Although she was struggling with her tent, he noticed something else that he felt was far more pressing.

"Colleen?" He called to her. "Do you need any help?"

Colleen looked up at him. "No thanks, I think I got it. I appreciate the offer. You know, I gotta admit, I've been havin' an alright time with you cats. Even Psamathe ain't so bad once you get to know her."

"Psamathe is, as they say, a character," he said. He paused a moment. "If you don't mind my asking, but are you alright?"

"Huh?"

"You seem worried."

Colleen was a bit taken aback by that. There had been something eating away at the back of her mind, but she hadn't made it known to the others. Had she been more obvious than intended? She frowned a bit. "Why do you say that?"

"It's… It's a hunch I have."

Colleen didn't know what to make of his hesitation. In spite of that, she decided to let herself open up a little. "I guess I'm worried about Hunter. He's not quite on his A-game today."

Njamba nodded. "He's feeling insecure," he said. "And I'm afraid I haven't helped with that. He's used to being in charge on his own, yes?"

"You could say that."

"I think all he needs is time," Njamba said. "Today has been overwhelming for all of us. And he is embarrassed whenever one of us knows a little more about something than he does. I believe he thinks he's inferior for not knowing the things we do."

"You seem to know a lot about how people are feeling."

"It's my power," he said. "You could call me an empath."

Suddenly it all made sense. She had been doing a perfectly good job hiding how she felt. He just had some kind of emotional skeleton key to tap into how she was really feeling. "Fancy that," she said. "So you can tell how everyone is feelin'? Can you shut it off?"

"Yes and no," he said. "In a normal situation, I can tune people out or focus on only one person. But if the other person's feelings are strong enough, I'm not powerful enough to keep from feeling them."

"I think that'd drive me mad."

"You get used to it," he said. Njamba was nice to have around, Colleen quickly learned. Now that Colleen's curiosity had been dealt with, she was able to focus on shooting the breeze with him. He expressed an interest in learning more about England and she asked a few questions about his homeland of Kenya. Colleen found herself laughing in the presence of the good humored cat; she was surprised by how friendly and easygoing he was. His cheery attitude was infectious, especially when she realized her feelings were fueling his own reactions. She wasn't sure how she felt about this empath business, but she did enjoy Njamba's company.

Hunter watched Njamba and Colleen from afar. There was a twinge of jealousy that immediately fell to the wayside. Njamba was a cat. There was no reason to be concerned. He focused on Vallejo and D'Artagnan who were conversing a few feet away from him. He made his way over in an effort to horn in. He wasn't going to be making any alliances just watching from the sidelines. Those who waited were doomed to be left out, he felt.

"Hey, guys, what's up?" He asked.

The stoic expression on D'Artagnan's face was hard to read. He didn't seem pleased with the intrusion on his conversation, but it could have been a misunderstanding on Hunter's part. Vallejo, on the other hand, gave a friendly nod. The Dogo Argentino seemed to have warmed up a little to him earlier in the day. As for D'Artagnan, Hunter figured that he could win him over with his 'super charm' or so he called it. All he had to do was tackle a topic he enjoyed.

"What are we talking about?" Hunter wondered.

"Nothing important," Vallejo said. Hunter wasn't sure if that was true or if they were changing the subject on his account. "Did you need something?"

He shook his head. "Just wanted to get to know my teammates. You guys work together a lot?"

"When we have to for a mission," Vallejo said. "Depends on who's needed. Most of us have different areas of expertise."

"Oh." That made sense. Hunter hadn't thought about it, but now that Vallejo had said it, history was a pretty vast topic. It'd be hard to be an expert in all aspects of it. "What's your guys' expertise?"

"Latin American history," Vallejo said. "D'Artagnan here is Emerald's religions expert."

"Really?" Hunter turned to the cat with a smile. "I guess if I've got a question about anything religious, I'll give you a call."

D'Artagnan raised an eyebrow but no other traces of emotion could be seen on his face. "If you deem it necessary, you could. If you'll excuse me, I need to go check on the food supply."

Hunter frowned as he watched the one-eyed cat walk away from them. "He really hates me, huh?"

"He's just like that," Vallejo said. "He might warm up to you or he might not. Don't take it personally. He's a cat after all."

"Good point," Hunter said. Some cats were notoriously distant.

"If you're looking for a cat to talk to, I'd go for Anaïs," he said. "She's friendly. Plus she's into American history. It'll give you something to talk about."

The Tonkinese cat had been nice every time Hunter conversed with her. The promise of her knowledge of American history was reassuring; at least, it was until he realized it'd be too easy for him to look foolish. Hunter had never been that great at history, even as the presidential dog.

"I gotta admit, trying to lead three groups is a bit tough," Hunter said. "Especially with cats added into the mix."

"There's an easy solution," Vallejo said. "Just let Chaussette do the leading, yeah?"

"Excuse me?"

"Chaussette is the best one for the job," he said. "You don't know what you're doing and Njamba is too worried about hurting people's feelings."

Hunter knitted his eyebrows together. "And just when I thought we were starting to get along," he said.

Vallejo snorted. Hunter took that as his cue to leave. He didn't want to get into a confrontation with the other dog. Getting into a fight would only drag his reputation down further with everyone. When night fell, things did improve once again. The group was talking around the campfire and the various conversations were more jovial. Part of that was they could finally sit down and rest while getting food in their bellies.

Having formed something of a bond with Katya, Exile found himself sitting beside her at the fire along with Hana. Katya was younger than him and he saw himself as something as a mentor for her. He was sure his newfound "student" would do everything in her power to give him a hard time though. Conversing with the girls was interesting. He and Katya discussed their respective childhoods in Siberia. In spite of their differing ideologies, they found plenty of other things to have in common. Hana, however, lacked that similarity. She seemed open to questions on her own home country of Japan though.

Even after hours of hiking in the jungle, Hana looked put together. Exile had to wonder when she'd had time to clean up. He could have sworn her fur and "hair" had been in disarray when they first set up camp. The black rims around her eyes made it look as if she had permanent eyeliner; it had taken Exile a moment to realize it had been her natural coloring. She had relented to the hot weather and pulled her shoulder length "hair" back into a pony-tail to keep it out of her face.

Exile gave a friendly chuckle. "You may need to tell me your secret," he said. "Even when it is hot as a potato out here, you are looking like show dog."

"I would hope so." Hana puffed out her chest. "Before becoming a Rover, I was a champion show dog."

Katya rolled her eyes while Exile smiled. "That is very neatski!"

"Do not encourage her," Katya said. "She will go on forever."

"Jealousy is not a good look, Katya." Hana's tone was jovial. "But I do like to make sure I look my best at all times."

"She is scared an impromptu dog show might break out at any moment," Katya said.

Exile laughed. Normally he would have been worried about a show dog being around. It was common for them to be haughty dogs with twisted ideals. Hana seemed to have something resembling a sense of humor. Even if she turned out to be vain, he could at least tolerate her on that level. She wasn't so into herself that jokes were off-limits or treated as personal attacks. They continued their discussion although Hana did seem to float in and out of the conversation. Her attention span left much to be desired, but he tried not to let it get to him.

On the other side of the campfire Hunter was deep in conversation with the American member of Emerald.

"That's when he said they made him stab her."

"Geez." Hunter gave an impressed whistle. "The things people come up with. Hey, Annie, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah?" Anaïs was a great source of unusual stories, but there was something Hunter had been curious about since they had first met Diamond.

"Vallejo said something about you liking dogs a little too much," he said. "What did he mean by that?"

"Vallejo said that?" She asked. The normally upbeat cat seemed genuinely upset by that. Hunter felt a twinge of guilt over asking. Looking back over his words, he had used the most insulting wording to get his question across. He needed to just permanently walk around with his foot in his mouth to cut to the chase in the future.

"Chaussette mentioned that you get along with dogs," he said. "I don't think he meant to say it like that, but…."

"But you wanna know if I have a fetish or something, right?"

"I wouldn't say fetish." Hunter felt like the worst person in the world for asking. She was the one person on the new teams that might have been on his side apart from Njamba and he'd blown it.

"It's okay," she said. "He was referring to a guy that I kind of like."

"And I take it this guy is a dog."

Anaïs nodded. "In any case, that's what Vallejo was talking about. I don't think he's used to cats and dogs liking each other."

Hunter glanced over his shoulder to see Njamba and Colleen still conversing. "Well, it's not something I would have predicted."

"Has Vallejo been giving you a hard time?"

Hunter looked back to Anaïs. "What makes you ask that?"

"He can get kind of weird around other male dogs," she said. "Or other men in general. He's not a bad guy once you get to know him… even if he can be kind of a jerk sometimes. I think everyone here is just really out of their element, you know? I know I am."

"Same." Hunter sighed. "I'm used to taking charge of situations. Even when we're working with other teams, I usually keep my role as the leader."

"Well, maybe, this time, you could try taking a back seat?"

"Don't tell me you think I'm a terrible leader, too."

"What?" Anaïs blinked. "That's not what I meant. It's just, sometimes, it's better to let someone else be in charge. I don't mean anything personal by it."

Hunter's temper had been tested all day and Anaïs was getting the brunt of it. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew she didn't deserve this ire. "How is it not personal?" He asked. "This is my job and everyone keeps treating me like I'm too stupid to do it."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

Hunter shook his head. "I think I just need to get some sleep."

Hunter got up from his seat to head back to his tent. No one noticed the exchange with Anaïs and he was left alone for the night as the others continued talking. As eyelids became heavier, the conversations dropped off and members of all three teams started to head into their tents to sleep for the night. The night was uneventful, allowing the group to get a good night's sleep. With the tents closed, they were safe from most of the outdoor elements, especially the mosquitoes. Everyone had been able to fall asleep to the gentle sounds of the rainforest.

The next morning, the group rose bright and early. After a quick breakfast, they set out on their journey once more. The group dynamic had shifted to be slightly more comfortable. The awkwardness still lingered, but the hostility seemed to be fading now that they'd had a night's rest. Not much was said, which most likely contributed to the laid-back atmosphere of the group. After hours of hiking and referring to their notes, Vallejo was the one to stop the group.

"Hold on!" He said. "I found something!"

He had everyone's full attention after calling out to them. He'd found an unusual stone just to the side of the path they'd been on. No one else could see what had caught Vallejo's eye until he brushed the debris off of it; there were letters etched into it. The words weren't recognizable to the Rovers. The confused Rovers collectively peered over Vallejo's shoulder to get a better look. When Vallejo sent an annoyed look their way, the Rovers backed out of his space. They couldn't decipher it anyway so they couldn't be too disappointed.

"What does it say?" Hunter asked.

"Some of it is faded," he said. "But there's something about Paititi! I think we're almost there."

"Great!"

"But…."

"But?" Hunter repeated. "What is the 'but' for?"

"It's warning us to turn back," Vallejo said. "I can't… quite make out why. There's something about… death."

"Delightful," Colleen said.

"Well, I'm sure that's not the worst we've ever faced," Hunter joked. He gave Njamba a gentle nudge with his elbow which elicited a smile from the cat.

"Yes, Hunter is right-"

"For once."

"D'Artagnan, stop," Njamba scolded. "We have faced formidable enemies before. If something is waiting for us, we will be able to face it together. Or it might be an empty threat. We get messages like this all the time that turn out to not mean anything."

"That's a bit reassurin'," Colleen admitted.

Hunter smiled. He finally felt as though he was taking the reins of leadership as he was supposed to. "Let's move out!"

Hunter took up the lead as they continued down the pathway to Paititi. He was growing more exciting with each passing moment. Whether he knew about this place beforehand or not, he was about to be part of history.

And he was going to do it with his head held high.

* * *

**Translation**

Фигня (Fignya) means "Garbage." From my understanding, it's like calling bullshit on someone.


End file.
